Thurles Information

People on social welfare will be somewhat financially better off, following new improvements, secured as part of Budget 2023, announced today; same to take effect from Sunday January 1st 2023, onwards.

• €12 increase in weekly payments – largest increase in over a decade.
• Largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.
• €40 per week increase in Working Family Payment thresholds.
• €25 per week increase in earnings disregards for people with disabilities.
• €20.50 increase in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance.

The Fine Gael Minister for Social Protection, Mrs Heather Humphreys announced the following changes today.

[Among the improvements coming into effect are across-the-board increases in weekly payments which will benefit over 1.5 million people.
The changes also include the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme and significant improvements to the Working Family Payment.]

Among the measures coming into effect in January are:

• A 12 euro increase in the maximum rate of all core weekly payments – benefitting over 1.5 million people.
• Largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme which will see an estimated 81,000 additional households qualify for the payment for the first time.
• Working Family Payment thresholds to increase by €40 per week for all family sizes.
• A €25 increase, from €140 to €165, in the weekly earnings disregard (that is income discounted in the means test) for recipients of the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.
• An increase of €20.50 in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance bringing the payment to €330 per month. This increase is to support people who play a valuable role in Irish society – parents or guardians who look after a child with a severe disability.
• A €2 increase in payments in respect of children of social welfare recipients, bringing the payment to €42 per week for children under 12 and €50 per week for children aged 12 and over.
• Farming families – a doubling in the amount of income that can be derived from agri-environmental schemes (e.g., Glas, ACRES) and counted in assessing means for the Farm Assist scheme. As a result of this measure, €5,000 can now be disregarded.
• Increase in earnings attracting the lower Employer PRSI rate. in line with increase in the national minimum wage which supports employment.

These measures are on top of the eight lump payments – already paid in October, November and December – that Minister Humphreys secured as part of Budget 2023 to assist families with the cost of living.